Pirates of the Caribbean: Upon the Darkest Hour
by tkbunny
Summary: At one point in her life, Jessica Turner was your average teenager. Just after her 17th birthday, her parents were killed in a car accident. Two years later, she finds herself in 18th century Port Royal. What's to happen when she meets Capt. Jack Sparrow?
1. Introduction & Disclaimer

Introduction && Disclaimer

Jessica Turner _is_ Amanda Taylor.

Just thought I'd get this out of the way, since the main character will be referred to as both throughout the duration of the story, in all of the arcs. Also, the actress I have in mind for playing Jessica is Emma Watson with long hair, she just seemed to fit the look I was going for. I'll have Polyvore sets made for the big moments and such, and Emma's picture will be on them.

Also, I am aware that the concept of having a sole female character from the 21st century time traveling into the 18th century is over done, but, I've worked on this story for over a year, planning and plotting and trying to get all of my details right that I feel like I have a different take on it.

I just hope that you all enjoy reading the following chapters as much as I have enjoyed writing them. I've loved Pirates since I saw the first movie all of those years ago, and it's finally taken a couple of good butt whooping from my muse to get me into writing mode. So, this is just the introduction to my works.

Happy reading! ~T.K.

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. I do not own Jack Sparrow, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, or any of the others. I do, however, own the copyright to Jessica Turner/Amanda Taylor, Lin Anderson, Alexander Anderson, Evan Jameson, and Jack the German Shepard.


	2. Prologue

Author's Note: First of all, I don't own the POTC Universe, Disney does. I only own the characters mentioned in this "chapter". Jessica Turner is my brainchild. I hope you like it, because it took me FOREVER to figure out how to… That would be spoiling the ending… Polyvore set for Jessica's outfit shall be updated as soon as I figure out how to do it. Read & Review, please! Love, T.K.

Prologue

_Miami, Florida_

_Summer of 2010_

Sunlight was seeping through the white gauze window covers as a lone figure rolled over, tugging the cream colored sheets over her head of honey colored hair as she went. It was too early to be awake, and nineteen-year-old Jessica Turner didn't want to rise out of her slumber. Groaning, the honey haired teen blinked her eyes open, looking at the inside of her sheet cocoon before she shoved the covers off to see her German Shepard, Jack, looking over the edge of her Full sized bed, his front paws on the sheets and his head resting on them, his brightly colored leash in his maw. Sighing, the brunette reached up and scratched his head as she said, "I bet Toby sent you up here," speaking of the gardener that she had been friends with since she was a little girl. He was like a second father to her, and she was grateful that he was looking out for her.

Jack released the leash into her hand and moved away from the bed, his tail wagging behind him as he left Jessica to get dressed. Shaking her head, the teen muttered, "Since when do I take orders from my dog?" Hearing the resounding _bark_ from the hallway, Jessica chuckled as she sat up. He just wanted to go for a walk, and the last time he had gone by himself, Jess had found herself at the dog pound, picking him up because he didn't have a leash OR owner with him. Stepping onto the plush carpeting, Jessica stretched, feeling her bones and muscles popping and moving as she looked at the clock. It was ten until noon and Jess thanked her lucky stars that Jack had waited as long as he had to come and wake her up. She'd had a late night and probably wouldn't have been able to function if she had woken up at eight like normal.

Pulling her t-shirt on, Jessica debated for a hot moment as to whether or not she wanted to pull her hair up before she decided that it would be best to pull it up into a high ponytail before she went and battled the wind on the beach. "Jack!" She called, grabbing the leash off of the bed before she grabbed her wallet and walked out of the bedroom. Walking down the hallway that lead to the staircase, Jess stood in front of her parent's portrait for a moment before she kissed her fingertips and then placed her hand on the plaque that read _William Turner VI and his bride, Rebecca Taylor_ that was drilled into the wall underneath it. It had been two years since they were killed in a car accident on their way to see her perform at Miami U, and not a day went by that Jessica didn't regret her decision to play at that stupid charity auction.

Feeling the tears sting the back of her eyes as she blinked, Jessica quickly wiped her eyes as she called, "C'mon dude! You got me up! Now let's go!" to Jack. Walking down the grand staircase, Jessica smiled at the house cleaner as she walked by and met Jack at the foot of the stairs, where he was chewing on his favorite chew toy. Snorting slightly, Jessica walked past her only living "relative" and through the entrance hall and into the kitchen, where she grabbed a Granny Smith apple on the island and looked through the mail as she did took the first bite. She'd been living on her own since her parent's deaths, and had finally grown accustomed to seeing her parents' names on the mail that was supposed to be handled by her retainer, Thaddeus Anderson. Crunching on the tart apple, Jessica smiled at the familiar handwriting of her best friend, Lin Anderson, on one of the pieces of mail. Using her left hand, Jessica ripped the envelope open with some difficulty before she smiled at the card. It was just like Lin to send an invite instead of a mass text for one of her summer bashes.

Hearing the sound of whining at her feet, Jessica looked down to see Jack looking up at her with sad brown eyes. "Alright, alright! Let's go!" Jessica said, dropping her apple core into the trash bin before she hooked the leash onto Jack's collar and wiped her hands off before her pooch dragged her out of the door. However, it was a small box that caught her attention before Jack could fully get her out of the door. Dropping the leash knowing that he wouldn't get far, Jessica let Jack go as she made her way back over to the island to find a package labeled _Miss Jessica Amanda Turner_ in elegant script. Her left eyebrow quirking upwards, Jessica managed to get the paper off with just her fingernails before a small, simple wooden box sat before her on the granite counter top. Her hands were shaking slightly from the anticipation when she finally managed to open the box, and revealed a startling gold chain with three Greek coins hanging from it, Picking it up, Jessica felt the air around her ripple in some sort of power surge before it stopped and the sound of the ocean could be heard once more. Shrugging it off, Jessica slipped the necklace on before turning to see Jack looking up at her with his head cocked to one side.

Smiling, Jessica reached over and grabbed his leash before heading towards the back door.

Walking along the beach, Jessica smiled at all of the little kids that insisted on petting Jack, who was woefully enjoying the attention. He didn't really take to strange adults but, kids… That was an entirely different story. He pretended not to like it, but Jessica knew better. He was always more perky after a petting from a kid than from one from their parents. Chuckling as he picked a stick up, Jessica knew that it was going to be fetch time once she found a place to sit down and wait for Lin and Alex to join them. Locating a spot closer to the water, Jessica plopped down in the sand and took the stick from Jack before she threw it with all of her might into the crashing waves.

Fifteen minutes of this went by before Jack collapsed in a tired heap at Jessica's side. Smiling down as she petted him, Jessica's ear quirked up at the sound of her best friend's broken Chinese coming over the sound of the laughter surrounding her. Looking up in the direction of the voice, Jess laughed out loud. Lin was strung over her older (adoptive) brother's shoulder like a sack of potatoes and was trying to curse up a storm in her "native" language. Following behind them with a picnic basket and shaking his head was Evan Jameson, Jessica's cousin. Watching with a smile on her face as Alex Anderson plopped his little sister on the sand with a laugh, Jessica couldn't help but fall back as Lin jumped up and tackled her older brother.

Life with those two was always amusing; especially when Alex decided that is was "pick on the girls" day, which had been every Sunday since they were in middle school. Watching the two wrestle in the sand, Jessica turned to Evan as he sat down, "I take it that it's been this way all day?" The dark haired teen nodded as he handed her a bottle of water. "What did he do this time?"

Evan turned and looked at her. "He went through her address book and found out the new guy she's crushin' on. It's really her own fault for drawing a heart by his name in red marker." He said, shrugging his shoulders. As cute as he may be, Jessica's cousin was the very serious type that always managed to piss someone off more often than not. It was a wonder how he and Alexander Anderson became friends, but seeing as she and Lin were exact opposites; Jessica didn't exactly question it. "How're you doing? And don't lie to me."

The questioned startled Jessica as Jack sat up and nudged the stick at her again. Throwing it, she thought about how to answer the question that Evan had set before her. "I think I've finally come to terms with it, you know? I couldn't help it that some drunk idiot ran a red light." She finally said, looking into Evan's eyes, "But having that portrait of Mom and Dad in the hallway is just a painful reminder. I want to put it in Dad's study. Thaddeus, however, thinks it's fine just where it is. So everyone can see it when they come in the house." Turning her gaze back out onto the beach, and the ocean beyond it, "I just wish I could go back in time, to where there were no cars and everyone had to walk or ride horses everywhere, you know?" A dull heat was starting to radiate from the necklace around Jessica's neck, rubbing at it, she continued, "You Dad always said that I was born three centuries too late. He thought that I would have made the perfect 18th century maid." The heat started to spread from just the chain to the coins hanging from it and was starting to become uncomfortable as Jessica finished, "And there are days that I agree with him."

The next thing nineteen-year-old Jessica Turner knew was that she was falling through midair, her body falling at an alarmingly fast rate. Clouds were flying past her, and the honey haired brunette was certain that wherever she was landing, she was going to be a goner. Closing her eyes, the teen took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, to the depths below. It was just her luck. The ocean was the one thing that she had to land in. Mentally calming herself, Jessica leaned forward until she was in a diving position. The cerulean blue waters were coming up on her fast, Putting her hands in front of her like she was taught, Jessica went head first into the water and blacked out as the cold water rushed in around her falling body.


	3. Waking up in Port Royal?

_Author's Note: So, I hope you all enjoyed the Prologue. I managed to write a majority of this while waiting on my homework to load, so, I hope you all enjoy a REALLY short Chapter One! 3 T.K._

Chapter One: Waking up in… Port Royal?

_Port Royal, Jamaica_

_1720ish._

Blinking her dark eyes open, Jessica awoke with a start. Gasping at the pain in her head, Jessica reached up to rub her temple. Looking around, her dark eyes narrowed in on a young woman and three young children sitting across the room from her. "Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse as she pushed the heavy homespun quilt off of her torso, which promptly landed in her lap, a dead weight on her legs. The quilt and her surrounding areas weren't as startling as the fact that her clothing was gone. Instead of her simple t-shirt, denim shorts, and bikini, she was wearing a coarse linen nightdress. It was making her skin itch. Reaching up with her right arm to scratch her left, Jessica looked down at the place she was scratching. Just below her left elbow, on her forearm, was an intricate design of her zodiac sign with the tail ending in the symbol of Poseidon.

"You're in Port Royal, Miss." Jessica's concentration was broken as the woman across from her spoke up. She had a British accent and was dressed so much more different than Jessica was used to. A young boy was clutching to her long skirts as she stood and walked towards Jessica.

"Where?" Jessica asked again, looking up at the woman. Nothing looked familiar, and she was getting more and more worried as she noticed all of the antique furnishings that surrounded her. This was most definitely NOT her home, in any meaning of the word.

"Port Royal, Miss. The British colony of Jamaica." The woman drew closer, and Jessica could see that she had flaming red hair, as did the boy clinging to her skirts. "Where are you from, and what might your name be? If I may be so bold."

The woman couldn't be much older than Jessica herself, around nineteen, twenty-one at the oldest. There were three children, all with shades of brown to auburn hair. Blinking as the oldest, a girl, walked towards her mother, Jessica was at a loss for words. If she told whoever this woman was that she was from Miami, Florida, Jessica would most definitely become an outsider. Looking at the state of the room and the way the red head and her children were dressed, Jessica had to estimate that she was in the early to mid 1700's. Thinking on her feet, Jessica came to the conclusion that if she said 'Jessica' she'd get a funny look as well. Looking over at the red head, Jessica gave a smile, "My name is Amanda, and I'm from the colonies."

The woman's green eyes widened, "What are you doing in Port Royal then, won't your parents and husband be wondering where you are and why my husband pulled you out of a fishing net?"

Jessica blinked in response. Why was this woman so concerned with her well-being? Feeling her cheeks flush, Jessica looked at her hands. It was so odd, being confronted by someone she didn't even know. "Um, my parents died two years ago, and I'm not married." Knowing what she was saying was the truth brought tears to her eyes. "As for being here… It just seemed like a better place that Jamestown."

Turning away from the woman, Jessica sighed as she looked at the wooden wall. "Well Miss Amanda, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Port Royal, Jamaica. My name is Mary Langley, and these are my children, Elizabeth, James, and Charles." The red head smiled at her as she pointed out each of her children. James, the one clutching his mother's skirt was now peeking from behind the brown fabric and smiling shyly at her.

Smiling at the little boy, Jessica pushed the covers off of her legs and stepped out onto the cold floor. Standing up, Jessica watched as the linen nightgown fell down to the floor. Chuckling, she picked it up slightly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all." Curtsying, Jessica said, "Would it be possible to get some new clothing? I don't think it would be proper for me to walk about Port Royal with naught but an nightgown, do you?"

The red haired woman smiled at Jessica before she said, "Of course. Cyrus will be here shortly, and then we'll see what we can do about you."


	4. An Unwarranted Discovery

_Author's note: I'm sorry the last chapter was a little short, and that this one is so late. I've been going trough some stuff at home, and now that it's settled down some, I can post another chapter or two! Hugs and kisses, T.K._

Chapter Two: An Unwarranted Discovery

_Three Years Later_

The sun was warm and the air seemed fresher as twenty-two year old Jessica Turner sat on the docks of Port Royal, looking out at the sunrise coming over the sea. Her boots were lying on the wooden dock behind her, and her long honey colored hair was falling in loose waves about her shoulders. Jessica knew she had to be getting back to the Governor's manor in a short while, but at that moment, she just wanted to watch the sunrise and wish the fishermen luck on their early morning excursion. It had been nearly three years to the day that Cyrus Langley had gotten her a job working for Governor Weatherby Swann as a maid for his daughter, Elizabeth. While she had been grateful for the work, Jessica soon found that Elizabeth was both stubborn _and_ more-than-slightly spoiled. Where she came from, those two things didn't work well. But, for three years, she had forced a polite smile, called her "ma'am", and even helped her dress in the mornings.

Jessica was tired of playing nursemaid to a spoiled "princess" and was ready to stretch her wings, as it were. Seeing as she spent the first year in Port Royal trying to figure out how to get back to present day Miami, Jessica figured that she could use an adventure. A road trip or something similar would have been nice, not to mention better than having to live in the same room with three other women, all of whom snored. Sighing, the honey haired woman stood up and looked over the sea once more before she pulled her boots on and made her way back down to the road, which would then take her up the hill to the Swann's manor. Elizabeth had a big day, seeing as it was Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony early that afternoon. Jessica held her skirt up as she stepped over a loose board and wished longingly for a pair of breeches. She snorted in response to her own wish. As if _that_ was ever going to happen.

Walking through the "down town" Jessica smiled at all of the market people who were coming alive to start their morning. Stopping at Brown's Smithy, Jessica contemplated as to whether or not she wanted to peak her head in and see what exactly the young man who worked there was working on that morning. She saw him often while she was running some errand or another with Elizabeth, but she had yet to be introduced to the dark haired man that looked familiar to her. Shaking her head, Jessica turned and walked towards the main road, trying to get back before Governor Swann noticed that she wasn't making breakfast for Elizabeth, as she should have been. Picking up her pace, the brunette didn't notice the lone figure watching her from the shadows as she smiled and nodded at those who she passed by.

Even though she wasn't smiling on the outside, a huge smile was covering Jessica's features on the inside as she followed Weatherby Swann up the stairs of his grand home, a box in her arms as she went. Apparently there was going to be dinner at the Norrington household that evening and that meant Jessica didn't have be cooped up in the Swann kitchen cooking and burning herself all afternoon. She actually had an afternoon off for the first time in three years! Once they reached Elizabeth's room, the Governor knocked, and Jessica could feel the familiar crash of something being knocked over. Something that she would undoubtedly have to clean up once the Swann's were gone. Shaking her head, Jessica huffed a bit when some of her hair fell out of the white cap she ad been forced to wear. While she and the other maids were dressed better than some in town, Jessica's only complaint was that she couldn't wear her hair just simply pulled back into a ponytail or bun, she had to wear that damn cap _all the time._ Simply ignoring the Governor's side-long glance as she walked with the other maid, Anne, past him and into the room, Jessica handed the blonde the box before she opened the window drapes and relished in the sunlight that greeted her as she did so.

Tying the drapes back, Jessica nodded down at the dark haired man as the smithy walked up the path to the mansion. Turning around, Jessica made her way over to the changing screen before she helped Anne get Elizabeth dressed for the ceremony. Gritting her teeth at the sight of the corset, Jessica watched as Elizabeth eyed the damn thing. Jessica had worn one for her senior prom to help hold her boobs in place with the dress she had been wearing. After that night, she had shoved that blasted thing as far back in her closet as the walls would let her go, and never thought about it again until that moment. Shuddering at the thought of wearing one again, Jessica tried to be as gentle as possible when holding the whale boning together for Anne to tug and pull until it was as tight as it would go. Wincing at Elizabeth's comment about London women learning not to breathe, Jessica dutifully kept her mouth shut as she finished helping Elizabeth dress.

Curtsying, Jessica took the box with her as she left Anne to help Elizabeth with her hair. Walking from the room, the brunette breathed a sigh of relief at being out from under the watchful eye of the Governor. He had always questioned her origins, seeing as she was more tan and freckled than most of her Jamestown counterparts. She had blamed it on her mother's lineage, saying that Rebecca had been of Native American decent (which wasn't a far stretch of the truth, because she had been in the 21st century). So, she tried to stay as far away from Weatherby Swann as she possibly could without seeming ungrateful for the job in his home and the bed that he let her sleep in under his roof. Storing the dress box in its proper place, Jessica closed the door to the closet and turned around to bump straight into a solid, definitely male, figure. Falling backwards slightly, Jessica felt a pair of strong hands grasp her upper arms before she fell onto the tiled floor.

Blinking as she was set back on her feet, Jessica looked up and was startled to see her father staring her in the face. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a low and messy ponytail, dark eyes that matched her own were staring at her in concern, and the familiar faint smile was surrounded by a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee. Before she could say anything out loud, Jessica bit her tongue. There was no way that this was her father, William Turner VI. It just couldn't be. "Are you alright?" His British accent was impeccable and Jessica could have melted into a pile of sobbing goo. He sounded just like her Dad. Biting her lip, the brunette just nodded her head up and down slowly trying to bide her time before she had to be moving along. If anything, Weatherby Swann was all about all things proper. "Are you sure?"

Jessica nodded her head again as she shrugged her shoulders, the dark haired man finally let her go and Jessica stepped back. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention as to where I was going." She said, nodding her head downwards as she raked her gaze down the smithy's body. He was a good six inches taller than her, and Jessica was an average height at five feet, six inches. Making sure to stare hard at his shoes; Jessica could feel her cheeks burning red at his scrutiny.

"What is your name, Miss?"

That was the second time in three years she had been asked that question in that manner, and Jessica couldn't help but roll her eyes before she looked back up at the dark haired man in front of her. "Amanda Taylor, sir." Licking her lips, Jessica felt a surge of boldness run up her spine as she said, "And yours?"

It was simple curiosity, but the answer that followed nearly knocked Jessica clear off of her feet. "William Turner." He said it with some pride and Jessica could hear the Governor's footsteps coming down the stairs and she stole a glance at the older Englishman before nodding in his direction, curtsying, and saying her farewells to the man in front of her. "It was a pleasure to meet you Master Turner, and I hope you have a good day." She said, stepping backwards and then quickly turning on her heel to make it to the kitchen before Governor Swann could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she scurried past. That man standing in the foyer just _couldn't_ be her ancestor. He couldn't be!

Covering her mouth with her hand for a moment, Jessica scurried through the manor, her shoes clicking on the floor in her haste to get outside to the salty air. Making it through the back door, Jessica stood on the first step, taking in deep breaths as she tried not to faint. She had been ripped from her home and into another time, only to run into her great great something or another grandfather and possibly change her own history! What the hell was going on here?

Taking a few deep breaths, Jessica blinked the tears back from her eyes and tried not to cry as Josiah Foster, the stable hand, walked past her with the horse and carriage that would take the Swann's and company to the ceremony. Trying to smile as she waved, Jessica took off when she heard Anne calling her name. She didn't have time to deal with the nosy brown haired teen. Slipping past some of the others employed by the governor, Jessica made her way to the woodshed, where she had hidden the clothes that Mary Langley had given her three years ago. The maids that worked for Weatherby Swann were dressed nicer than those in town, and Jessica stuck out like a sore thumb wearing the ivory and rose-printed dress.

Pulling the cap off of her head as she hurried to the shed, Jessica felt her hair start to bounce in the bun she had tied it into. Pulling the leather strap, Jessica's honey colored hair fell in waves down her back. Walking into the shed, Jessica peeked out of the window to make sure that Anna hadn't followed her before she started taking her clothes off and putting the brown and green garments on in place of the finery. Running a hand through the tangled curls a moment, Jessica decided that a braid would suffice for the day and quickly tied it off before grabbing the stringed purse that held what little pocket change she had. Peeking out the doorframe again, Jessica sighed in relief as she sauntered down the dirt road to the path that would take her into town.


	5. Meeting Mr Smith

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay with the chapter! A lot has been going on lately, and I lost muse there for a bit. But, I'm back now and enjoy! 3 T.K. Oh, don't forget to review! It always makes me happy to see what you like/dislike about my writing style.

_Chapter Three: Meeting Mr. Smith_

The walk into town was just what Jessica needed to clear her head. Being shifted from one time period where she was the only Turner left in her family to a time where she was face-to-face with an ancestor that was quite possible the beginning of her family line, it was all just so confusing and all she wanted to do was scream. But, seeing as the young Turner had shirked on her duties before running away from the Manor, she was more-than-likely going to have to answer to the Governor when she returned. However, Jessica didn't rightly care about that at the moment. All she wanted to do was get as far away from that damn place as fast as she possibly could.

Walking through the crowded streets full of people buying and trading things, Jessica finally made her way to the dock, where she nodded at the fishermen and others before she made it to the edge. Looking out onto the ocean, she contemplated diving in fully clothed for a moment before she finally decided to sit on the worn wood and taking her boots off, letting her toes skim the water before she rested her elbows on her thighs and cradled her chin on her palms. Staring at her reflection, the chocolate-eyed woman couldn't help but notice the changes that she had gone through in the past three years.

Her hair was no longer the rich chestnut-like color that she was born with, but instead it was darker, due to the fact that she had to keep it pinned up and hidden most of the day, her face was a lighter shade of tan, due to the fact she wasn't outside as much as she used to be, and her freckles had faded somewhat, matching her regular skin tone more than they had ever done before. Her eyes were the biggest change, instead of always shining in happiness, they were darker now, chocolate almost obsidian in color as she went about her indoor duties. Her hands were callused, due to all of the times she'd burned herself in the kitchen, and the tattoo she bore on her forearm was still a constant question in her mind. She had no idea how or where she had gotten it, or why the symbol of Gemini was laced with the symbol of Neptune.

"Excuse me, Madame."

Jessica's train of thought was broken as she turned over her right shoulder to see who was addressing her as something other than "Miss". Chocolate colored gaze widening at the sight before her, Jessica couldn't help but let her jaw drop, her right hand going up to make sure the sun wasn't obscuring her view. Dark dreadlocks poured out from underneath a leather tricorn hat and there were miscellaneous things threaded through the man's hair. He also had gold capped teeth, which showed as he smiled at her. His hand was extended towards her, as if he expected her to take it. "Yes?" She finally said, "What can I do to help you?" Her dark gaze going from his face to the extended hand before her, she turned so that her right leg was resting on the dock and she could look him fully in the face.

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't sound so lippy, but being thrown through time was starting to take its toll on her. She couldn't be herself, she had to be some meek little maid that didn't everything she was told. The stranger's smile faded as he stood back a little, his hand dropping to his side as he looked crestfallen and said, "I was just wondering if a pretty maid such as you might be able to escort me to the navy yard?"

Looking at his crestfallen face, Jessica couldn't help but feel sorry about her tone. Running her raised hand over her face, Jessica sighed deeply before she put her hands in her lap and looked up at the man, a sad smile on her face. "I can tell you where they are, but I can't escort you." He looked somewhat hopeful when she had looked up at him and started talking, but by the end of her sentence he was looking crestfallen again. Sighing, Jessica swung her other leg up and stood, slipping her feet into her boots before she tied the laces together. Standing upright, the brunette stuck her hand out, "Amanda Taylor," she said, introducing herself to the man. She knew that gossip was bound to happen from this, and you know what? She didn't damn right care at that moment in time.

"John Smith." Was the answer, and Jessica could tell that he was lying to her, but considering the fact that he looked like a pirate (and was more than likely a pirate), it would be best if he lied to her. That way, if things came back to haunt her, Jessica could say that she didn't have any clue as to what his real name was.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Smith," She said, smiling up at him as she started to walk. "The docks are this way."

Everyone in Port Royal knew where the navy yard was, and it was obvious by this man's dress and the way he spoke, he was not from Port Royal. Walking through the town more than a couple of paces before the man in his tricorn hat, Jessica quickly made her way to the navy docks, slipping through most of the places that others in town didn't know existed. "How do you know about these back alleys?" His voice was deep, and Jessica could sense herself falling backwards, into step with him, so that she could hear it better.

"I've always been on the water, ever since I was a little girl. So, I've always found the quickest route back to it, even when I was new here." Jessica found herself answering. Looking up at him out of the corner of her eye, she stopped short of the path that would lead him to the Interceptor and the Dauntless. "What are you doing here? You don't really fit in."

"I'm here to commandeer a ship." He replied.

The bluntness of his answer surprised her and Jessica had to reach out to the wall beside her to catch herself before she tripped over a wooden crate. "And do what exactly?"

It was another twenty minutes before Jessica had heard his entire story. She was half tempted to not believe him, but the way he said it, Jessica couldn't help but find the truth in it. "Take me with you." The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, and as soon as they rang in her own ears, a bright flush covered her cheeks and she stepped up her pace to lead him to the aforementioned ships.

"Why would a young lass such as yourself want to leave such a nice place like this?" came his rebuttal.

"I've never belonged here." She said, standing in the grouping of palm trees that lead towards the dock where the Interceptor was laying in wait. "I just want an adventure."

Using her right hand, Jessica pointed in the direction of the ships and said, "I believe this is what you are looking for?"

Smiling, Jessica turned and made her way back into town. If he wasn't going to take her, she was damn well going to be a stowaway on board whatever vessel he managed to get himself.


	6. Locked Away

_Author's Note: Okay, so that last chapter was just horrific. I had no idea what I wanted to do with the meeting of Jack and Jessica, so, I went and did whatever came to mind, no matter how sucky it was. But, now that THAT is out of my way, I can move on to the next section of story. Don't forget to review!_

_Chapter Four: Locked Away._

The first place Jessica stopped as she made her way back through town was the Langley household, where Mary looked more than shocked to see the brunette walking about in the clothes that she had given Jessica nearly three years to the day. "Amanda, please, come in!" She said, backing away, a very pregnant belly showing through her dress.

Smiling, Jessica stepped into the house, looking around for the three children that had showed her around Port Royal when she had first arrived. To her surprise, none of them were to be found, which was unusual, considering the oldest, Elizabeth often met up with her whenever Jessica was in the market. Turning to her friend, Jessica said, "It must have been a long time since I've seen you. The last time, you only had four children following after you, and Elizabeth hasn't told me of the newest addition."

Mary smiled as she closed the door, her pregnant belly making her journey across the threshold a slow one. "It has been. Elizabeth! Charles! Children! We have a guest!" Walking beside Mary through the house to the sitting room, Jessica helped her into an arm chair before sitting across from her, the Langley children running from all directions to come when their mother called them. What was surprising was that the eldest, Elizabeth, was holding the youngest in her arms, and four others lined up beside her as Mary leaned back, trying to relieve the pain in her lower back. "You remember Elizabeth, Charles, and James. Eve was only an infant the last time she saw you and you saw her. Rebecca came eleven months after Eve was born, and Edward came along eighteen months ago."

Jessica had to hold back a sarcastic question as she wondered how the woman could go through that many pregnancies and labored that many children into life. Personally, Jessica didn't want to have a child in this day and age, due to the lack of epidurals and pain killers, and the chance that neither she nor the child would make it. Smiling as she held out her arms for the toddler, Edward, Jessica started to bounce him slightly on her knee as Mary dismissed the others to do their chores and lessons. "Now, Miss Taylor, what can I do for you? I don't think you're the type to call on somebody with no warning."

Jessica smiled, as the toddler on her lap cooed up at her. "I actually need to ask you a favor." Looking up at her red haired friend, Jessica couldn't believe how young the woman looked. Jessica's first guess had been wrong, due to the fact that Elizabeth had been eight at the time Jessica had landed in the Port Royal Bay, making Mary older than Jessica by more than a couple of years. It had taken some prying, but Jessica had finally gotten Mary to tell her how old she had been when she had given birth to the red headed girl who looked just like her mother, and Jessica had been shocked to hear that she had only been sixteen. Of course, she had kept her mouth shut, due to the fact that it was common in this time period to get married and have children as soon as the girl was old enough to have her period.

Looking into Mary's bright blue eyes, Jessica said, "I need the clothes Cyrus found me in." The look on Mary's face was definitely that of shock as Jessica stared at her. It had been known to her that Cyrus had kept her clothes, due to the fact that Elizabeth had told her as much whenever she had asked about them.

Mary regained some of her composure as she sat up as straight as her expanded belly would let her. "Why would you need those?"

Jessica felt her eyebrows furrow together as she frowned slightly. "Mary, I don't want this to be hard on either of us, and I enjoy your friendship, but I need those clothes." Mary's face hardened some as she held her hands out for her youngest child. "I don't want to lose your friendship," Jessica continued as she stood and handed the dark haired boy to his mother.

Mary licked her lips as she said, "They're in the pantry cupboard, underneath the fabric." Running her hand over her son's hair, "But, why do you need them? Is the Governor propositioning you?"

Jessica felt a shudder run down her spine as she retorted, "No, I am not having an affair with the Governor. I just need to find something." It was only a half lie. It would be easier to run after that pirate in her shorts than it would in a long ass dress that just weighted her down so much when it was wet.

Walking through the house to the kitchen, Jessica opened the pantry and looked for the knob that would open the fabric cupboard. Finally finding it, Jessica pulled it open and was greeted by a pile of fabric and clothes, as well as a leather satchel, just tossed in haphazardly. Pulling the bag out, Jessica noted the one inch rip along the side before she pulled some brown suede-like fabric out of the drawer. Looking at it, Jessica noted that it was just long enough to get a bodice out of before it needed to be thrown away. Folding it, she stuffed it in the bag before finally finding her white t-shirt and denim shorts and putting them in the bag as well. It took her a while before she found her bikini and gave up on finding her shoes before she heard, "Miss Amanda, what are you doing?"

Jumping out of her skin slightly, Jessica looked to see eight-year-old James looking at her with wide brown eyes. Closing the cupboard, Jessica said, "Just getting some stuff that your Mum and Dad were holding on to for me." Looking up at the boy, she followed him with her gaze as he walked into the pantry and kneeled down beside her, "Why aren't you playing with your brother and sisters?"

He looked sad as he said, "I'm 'it' for hide and go seek. But, I don't like this game, so I take my time. Where are you going?"

Jessica licked her lips as she reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes, "What makes you think I'm going somewhere?"

"That satchel used to be my father's. Whenever he would leave Mum to go to sea, he'd pack his things in there, but it ripped, so he bought a new one." He replied, fingering the worn leather.

Jessica sighed. She couldn't very well lie to the boy. "James, I'm running away." She said bluntly, reaching forward to tilt his head up so he was looking up at her. "I need your help. Does your father have any old breeches that your mother was going to use for Charles?"

The young boy perked up when she told him that she needed his help. Nodding his head vigorously, he darted off to go and grab them before she could even ask him. She was well aware that she was stealing from her only friend in Port Royal, but she had no intention of coming back to this blasted place after she left.

Standing, the brunette looked around the pantry for anything that wouldn't sorely be missed, Jessica's eye caught the glint of something that was covered in dust. Reaching out, she frowned. What was a dagger of this style doing in the Langley household? Cyrus surely couldn't have been to Greece, right? Slipping the dust covered dagger into the bag before James came back, Jessica pulled three shillings out of her pocket and put them where the dagger had been.

"Here you go!" James said, holding up a pair of trousers that had become really worn in the knees. After taking them from the young boy, Jessica folded them and slipped them on top of the dagger. "Do you need anything else?"

Jessica smiled, "No, but thank you James." Reaching back into her pocket, she handed him five shillings and told him to buy as much candy as he could the next time he went out with his mother. Patting him on the head, she told him to make sure his mother knew she was leaving before she threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder and slipped out the back door.

Making her way back through town to the docks, Jessica couldn't help but stop in at the bakery to grab some bread and cheese before she continued on her journey. What surprised her next was the fact that all of the redcoats were running through town, asking the townspeople of one Captain Jack Sparrow. Stopping to look in the window of the bookstore, Jessica sighed in relief when they passed her by. Wrapping the cheese in the same cloth that the wheat bread was in, Jessica placed them on top of the rest of her stolen goods and quickly made her way towards the docks, where she found the newly appointed Commodore Norrington talking with the Governor.

Quickly turning about so that neither of them saw her, Jessica nearly cursed aloud as she heard, "Miss Taylor!" come from the elder of the two men. Cursing under her breath, Jessica placed a fake smile on her face as she turned and slowly walked to them, curtsying deeply when arriving.

"Yes, Governor Swann?" She said, not making eye contact with him as she looked past his ear. If she didn't look him in the eye, he wouldn't be able to tell if she was lying to him or not.

"What are you doing here? You should be back at the manor, getting Elizabeth settled after her ordeal." He said sternly, watching as Jessica winced and looked down at his shoes.

"Her ordeal, sir?" She said, licking her lips, the heat of the Commodore's gaze burning into her cheek.

"With that pirate, Jack Sparrow. Now, quickly, back to the manor."

With that, Jessica turned and headed back up to the manor, her boots making padded noises against the cobblestones as she ran. If the Commodore and Governor knew about Smith, or rather, Sparrow, than that meant she was going to have to do _something_ to get him out of the jail cell that he was more than likely sitting in at that moment in time. What she didn't notice was the change in the wind and the cloud cover that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

While she was grateful that Weatherby Swann had decided to not berate her for leaving her chores unattended, Jessica was more than upset that her way of getting off this damn island was stuck in a jail cell. She had changed back into her other clothes and had quickly folded and hidden her other clothes away with the leather satchel in the woodshed. Sitting in the garden behind the house, Jessica watched as the full moon rose into the sky, bright white against the clear dark night. The clouds were starting to roll in, and Jessica could sense that a storm was going to blow in.

Leaning back against the wall of the house, Jessica made sure that she was hidden in the shadows before she pulled her knees up to her chest. Her one thought of getting out of this place and making something of herself and not ever seeing her ancestor again was locked in a jail cell and the only person who could possibly help her break him out of it was the one man she didn't want to speak to, let alone _see_, again.

Sighing, Jessica leaned her head back against the wooden house as she tried to figure out a way to change where her life was headed. Back in her own time, she would have started her freshman year of college the year she went missing. She would have majored in music and minored in accounting, so she could take over her father's business once she graduated. But now, all she was amounting up to was a maid and someone that was constantly getting walked on by the woman she worked for. If she had been in her own time, that wouldn't have happened, _ever_. She would have stopped letting Elizabeth walk all over her the minute she started, but, seeing as she was of the "lower class", she had to be super polite and do everything that she wished.

That's when she heard it. Ears quirking upwards at the sound, she knew immediately when metal met stone. The sound of an explosion followed not long afterwards as another canon hit its target. Standing quickly, Jessica ran through the garden, not caring as the whether or not she tore up any of the plants or vegetables as she made her way to the woodshed. Ripping the ivory jacket of her dress off, Jessica quickly pulled her bikini out of the leather satchel and disrobed completely before she exchanged her underclothes for the skimpy two piece bikini that her mother had helped her pick out, the white and pale blue standing out against her somewhat tanned skin. Slipping the clothes Mary gave her on over the bikini, she tied the bodice haphazardly before she pulled her shoes off and tugged her boots on and grabbed the bag before running back towards the house.

She had to get Elizabeth out of there or the Governor would have her head on a silver platter.

Rushing past the other maids and butlers that were screaming and running through the house, trying to figure out what to do, Jessica barely made it in time before the senior most butler opened the door and she heard Elizabeth yell, "Don't!" before the pirates on the other side of the door shot him in the face.

Covering her mouth in an attempt not to scream, Jessica's dark brown eyes followed the portly one and his skinny friend a moment before she turned around and headed right out the back door where she had come in. She needed to get some help up here before something bad happened. Taking the bag from across her chest, she threw it into the garden before she ran around the house and down the long dirt path before she came into the path that would lead her to the jail house.

That Jack Sparrow character had to know what the hell was going on.

Running through town had taken a lot less time than it normally would have, and Jessica skidded to a stop in front of the entrance to the jail. She had just enough time to hide in the shadows when two pirates came out of the jail, stating that someone's luck was no better off than what it had been ten years previous. Slipping past the two and into the doorway, Jessica slowly made her way down the stairs, making sure to stay in the shadows so that she had more of an element of surprise. She finally reached the bottom step and walked into the torch-light, trying to find the man she was looking for in the dark cells. "Jack?" The name was foreign on her tongue. It had been nearly three years to the days since she lost her best friend, and the weight of the name was hard on the strings of her heart.

"Love?" The voice was deep and rich in her ears, and Jessica couldn't help but find the source of it in the dark. Finding the man's voice, Jessica couldn't help but notice the gaping hole in the brick wall cattycorner to him, where he was pressed up against the iron bars, looking at her. "What are you doing here?"

Jessica couldn't help but feel shivers down her spine as his dark eyes met her own. Stepping out of the shadows, Jessica took the three steps towards him and knelt down in front of him. "Why is it that the day you show up here that my life gets turned upside down again?" She said, looking him square in the face, "I need you to tell me what's going on, why are those canons firing at the Port?"

Jack broke eye contact with her and looked towards the hole in the wall, where the ship in the harbor was still firing on the port. Looking harder at him, her eyes narrowing, Jessica said, "Don't lie to me."

The pirate looked at her through the bars, his dark eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth and then closed it, as if he was rethinking the entire lie he was about to tell her. He sat back a little, crossing his legs and running his hands over his braided beard. He looked almost pensive as he thought about how to say whatever it was he wanted to say. Finally, he reached forward again; grabbing hold of the bone that was obviously left by whatever guard dog they had with the keys, he held it up for her to look at. "Do you believe in monsters, Miss Taylor?"

Jessica frowned as she took her hands off the cold metal as he reached towards them with his free hand to touch her. Brushing the fly-away hair from her forehead, Jessica licked her lips as her brows furrowed together and she frowned. Why in the world would he want to know if she believed in monsters? It wasn't as if she was a child, getting told a ghost story by her father at bedtime. Looking at him, Jessica crossed her arms over her chest and sat back on her feet a little. "I guess it all depends on the monster." She finally said, her left eyebrow arching as she quirked her head to the right, hoping he would continue.

Hearing the sound of wood being torn apart, Jessica winced as the canon ball tore apart the gallows. At least she would have longer than until dawn to get him out of there. "What kind of monsters should I believe in?" She continued, hearing the sound of footsteps in the doorway a moment before they turned and headed another direction. Eyes darting to the doorway, Jessica sighed at the fading footfalls. Looking back at the pirate in the jail cell, Jessica reached forward with her left hand to touch this man's much darker and calloused one. The moment her skin came in contact with his, a burning sensation shot up her arm and seared at the tattoo marred into her flesh. Bringing her arm back in an instant, Jessica tugged at her sleeve, pulling it up to reveal the black ink fading into a silver shine before a smoke trail was all that was seemingly left before the pain subsided and the tattoo was replaced by a fresh brand in the shape of the letter 'P', the silver of the ink work barely seen until she moved her arm. Eyes wide in both pain and shock, Jessica looked back and forth between her arm and the man in front of her. "What was that?" She exclaimed, her hand going to cover the brand and hissed in pain as raw skin burned against her palm.

The pirate behind the bars reached out and took hold of Jessica's wrist before she had time to cover her arm again. "You've been branded." He said, letting go of her arm to pull back his own sleeve to show the faded brand of his own, the white standing bare against his tanned and sea-worn skin. "Marked. Forever to be known as a pirate."

Pulling her arm back, Jessica winced at the sight of her burned flesh. First the tattoo; now _this_. Reaching down, she pulled her skirt up, not caring that the man in front of her could see her bare legs. Quickly using her teeth, she got the fabric threadbare enough before it ripped, the straight and perfect hemline now ruined by her need for the cloth. Dropping her skirt, she glared a moment as she noticed Jack looking up immediately. "Here," she said, thrusting the fabric at him through the bars. "Wrap this around my arm and tie it off. Tight."

He did as he was told, and within seconds, Jessica was standing, her arm going up so that she could protect it. Catching her balance on the bars of the jail cell, Jessica looked down at him, "Stay here. I'm going to find someone to get you out of here."

Jack chuckled as he leaned back on his hands, "I'll be right here, love. Locked away, just like the Commodore wanted me."

With that, Jessica grabbed her skirt and picked it up, not wanting to trip over it as she ran up the stairs and back towards town, where her mind was on one person. William Turner. He could get Jack out of the jail, of that she was certain, but she was going to need a little leverage to get him going.

It wasn't until she was running into the crowd of people trying to escape the pirates pillaging the town that she realized that Jack hadn't told her what she wanted to know.


End file.
